HR News

June-July 2013

COLORADO GET MOVIN' CHALLENGE – LOG YOUR ACTIVITY AND WIN PRIZES!

(July 30, 2013) Join well@du and LiveWell Colorado for this monthlong challenge to prove that Colorado is the most active state in the nation! Get active: simply log 30 minutes daily of any activity throughout the month of August.

Click here to sign up (you will be prompted to enter your ZIP code and create a Map My Fitness account) and enter your daily activity beginning Aug. 1. Any activity counts, whether you're a biker (also check out the National Bike Challenge), a runner, a walker or a dance-in-my-living-room-er!

Join the Get Movin' Yammer group to organize activity with your colleagues, like 15-minute walking breaks. One in the morning and one in the afternoon and you're done!

Everyone wins by getting active, but for those of you who are motivated by prizes, each participant is eligible for weekly and grand prizes from random drawings. Click here to see what you could win!

Visit well@du and getmovinchallenge.org for tons of resources. You can also dial in via your favorite social media channel, be it Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.

What are you waiting for? Get movin'!

SKILLSOFT AVAILABLE ONLY THROUGH AUG. 12

(July 23, 2013) Access to the online learning resource, SkillSoft, will be available to all DU faculty, staff and students only through Aug. 12. You're encouraged to take advantage of this time to complete any desired courses or those courses in progress. If you are currently in the process of completing courses for a Professional Development Certificate, please submit your application to aimee.neu@du.edu before Aug. 31. We will be reviewing further online learning and development educational options; stay tuned to your DU Digest for more information in the coming months.

As a manager, it's your role to help create the vision for how each person's work contributes toward the department, division and overall University goals. These types of conversations help create excitement about the value of work, increase engagement and aid in performance. Learn some best practices and take away tools to start integrating these conversations.

COMINGS AND GOINGS IN MAY AND JUNE

(July 16, 2013) Click here to see who joined our team and who moved on in May and June, 2013.

HEALTH CARE REFORM WEBSITE

(July 16, 2013) Human Resources is providing information on Health Care Reform and the University's intent to maintain an employer-sponsored health plan by creating a new website dedicated to helping clarify the many news updates on health care reform. Click here to view the website.

(July 16, 2013) From the moment you first meet Jeff Rogoff, his passion for living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle is palpable. Jeff opened up Sazza with his wife, Jenni Hayes, in 2006. The concept is simple: Jeff and Jenni took their passion for clean eating and turned it into an organic pizza and salad fast casual restaurant.

They are now embarking on a new adventure: an urban farm in their own backyard! While Sazza currently sources from sustainable, local Colorado farmers and suppliers, the High Street Farm will yield fresh produce for the restaurant.

Learn more during a Lunch & Learn session July 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Johnson-McFarlane classroom. Sazza will provide a free catered lunch while Jeff and Jenni present on their business, then we'll walk over to the High Street Farm for a tour. RSVP to katie.dunker@du.edu by July 19.

FREE ONLINE PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

Online learning via SkillSoft is a great professional and career development tool. SkillSoft hosts Knowledge Centers for Leadership, Foundations and Microsoft 2010. These Knowledge Centers are designed to be user-friendly learning portals that allow you to have instant access to trusted, targeted content. Each Knowledge Center's content is refreshed monthly. Access is free for all staff, faculty and students. From the Knowledge Centers, you can access the following learning resources:

Books 24x7

Featured Topic

Practice Labs

Connect with the Experts

Learning Roadmaps

External Resources

Register and start exploring today, or view the Skillsoft Tutorials on the HR website first.

CHECK YOUR PAY STUBS FOR ACCURACY IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR

(July 2, 2013) As we entered into fiscal year 2014 on July 1, 2013, remember to check your pay stub to ensure your benefits deductions are accurate. Pay stubs can be found in webCentral, under the employee tab, then employee information on the left side of the screen. Direct any benefits questions to totalrewards@du.edu.

NEW GET GROWING WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED

(July 2, 2013) You're in for a treat July through September with a slew of new lunch-hour Get Growing workshops! You'll learn how to battle pests, what to plant in the fall and how to put your garden to bed for the winter.

DATE CHANGE FOR START OFF RIGHT: FIRST DAY AND BEYOND FOR STUDENT EMPLOYEES – JUNE 19, 11:30 A.M., UNIVERSITY HALL 306

(June 18, 2013) First impressions are everything! Preparing for the first day, week, etc., is important in retaining and engaging student employees. By providing a great start, students are more likely to understand their role and be more engaged.

Session Overview:

Pre-first day communication

First day (required new hire paperwork, tour and introductions, project, check-in, setting expectations)

Registration is through webCentral, employee tab, training (lower right), then Management and Supervisory.

3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WELL@DU

(June 11, 2013) Denver was recently ranked the No. 5 "fittest" city in the U.S., and DU's employee wellness program, well@du, aims to bring the city's culture of wellness to campus. Here's a look at three of the things well@du provides for you:

1. Wellness programs

Well@du offers a variety of wellness programs throughout the year. MixitUp, this years' spring program, encouraged us to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Up now is the National Bike Challenge, where you can log your bike rides daily to win prizes. DU is currently ranked the No. 2 workplace in the state for logged rides!

2. Wellness workshops

Well@du offers several one-hour lunchtime workshops addressing topics from "Superfoods" to "Managing Stress at Work." This spring a gardening series called Get Growing launched; join us on Friday, June 21 to celebrate the first day of summer and learn "what's being planted and harvested in June." July and August sessions will cover topics such as battling pests, harvesting and canning. Stay tuned to your DU Digest for the summer schedule.

3. Wellness Resources

Well@du is here to help with your wellness goals. Healthy Connections, for benefited staff and faculty, is a program to provide education, accountability and support for those interested in weight loss and weight management (new sessions will begin late-summer). Also for benefited employees, HelloWallet is an online tool to help you manage your day-to-day expenses, build your savings, and plan for the future.

HELLOWALLET

(June 11, 2013) With summer upon us and things (hopefully) slowing down, now's a great time to focus on your financial wellness. HelloWallet staff was recently on campus at the benefits fair and hosted several workshops to assist us with the software. If you missed them, learn about HelloWallet here.

FREE ON-CAMPUS COOKING CLASS - JUNE 19, 4 P.M.

(June 4, 2013) Get in the kitchen this month with Knoebel's teaching chef, compliments of the well@du program. Two separate and identical courses will be offered. Registration is limited and available only to benefited faculty and staff.

GET TO KNOW YOUR UNIVERSITY'S HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

(June 4, 2013) DU's Human Resources team covers many bases in their work to support employees and University organizations with strategies, solutions and resources around the employment experience. The team has leveraged new talent to support the DU community in many additional ways through greater collaboration and partnership.

According to Amy King, director – HR, the team has made many changes over the past two years to provide more consulting services to teams, in addition to direct services related to the employee experience. For example, the Talent Management team can provide customized learning programs and assessments, including team-building workshops, in addition to offering learning and development courses. The HR department is also a critical resource in assisting divisions with their interpretation of key organizational policies, to ensure that they align with key guidelines and employment laws related to all facets of the employment relationship.

In the coming weeks, DU Digest will give you an in-depth look at how HR is responding to employee feedback with new programs, information and services. First, here's an overview of the three HR departments – Total Rewards, Talent Management/Employee Services and Office of Equal Opportunity:

Total Rewards (led by Lynnette Woodbury, associate director)

The Total Rewards team is dedicated to ensuring the University uses the best strategies and practices for benefits and compensation programs. This includes such things as health insurance, leaves of absence, tuition waiver, retirement, job classification, merit system, and salary structure. In addition, Total Rewards manages the University's Wellness Program, which concentrates on employees' physical, mental and financial well-being and engagement.

The Talent Management/Employee Services team has broad responsibility for the employee experience from the start of employment through their employee life cycle at the University. This team focuses on:

new employee orientation and related new hire paperwork;

learning and development programs for individuals and teams;

policy interpretation and development; and

employee relations.

Talent management also includes getting the right people in the right jobs, with the right skills, and at the right time, also formally known as workforce planning. The Talent Management team collaborates with individuals, unit managers and University leadership to analyze and articulate workforce structure and needs, and to develop strategies, planning tools, resources and programs to support members at all levels of the University community.

See the Talent Management/Employee Services specific functions and team members here (PDF).

Office of Equal Opportunity (led by Kathryne Grove, director)

This team, in collaboration with University partners, fosters an environment of equal opportunity for faculty, staff and students in all aspects of employment and educational programming. The team advises hiring managers on compliance requirements and diversity goals and leads investigations on discrimination matters. Kathryne is also the University's designated Title IX coordinator.

See the Office of Equal Opportunity specific functions and team members here (PDF).

You can also visit the HR website for a quick list of who you can contact should you need assistance.

GET GROWING WORKSHOP: WEEDING AND COMPOSTING – JUNE 4, NOON-1 P.M.

(May 28, 2013) Learn what to do about those weeds fighting with your plants for food and water and turn your trash into gold (at least dirt worth gold).